Hoarders make groceries hard to come by
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Hoarders have cleared some shelves of groceries over fears of COVID-19.
Hand sanitizers have been next to impossible to purchase for weeks, and now toilet paper has been wiped off the shelves since the World Health Organization declared the virus a pandemic.
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But here’s the rub — COVID-19 isn’t a stomach bug that would require those who catch it to have the need for extra bum tissue.
And experts say there is no need to stockpile as few Torontonians need to be quarantined and there have been no local transmissions.
“It is important for people to reflect on what their household needs are and how they can prepare for them in advance in case they themselves become ill,” Toronto’s Medical Officer of Health Dr. Eileen de Villa said this week.
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Still, grocery stores have been swamped with those buying supplies and waiting up to 45 minutes to get through checkout lines.
Henry Roberts managed to get the last package of rolled tissue gold at the Loblaws at Broadview and Danforth after being unsuccessful at the former Maple Leaf Gardens Loblaws.
“I was expecting this phenomenon and I was surprised to find the last pack,” Roberts said.
“The stores are very well stocked otherwise.”
People need to stay calm, said Margarida Siva at the FreshCo at Dufferin and Dupont, walking out of the store will a cart filled to the rim.
But this wasn’t full of the normal fare — but with chicken nuggets and other kid-friendly goodies.
“We are getting ready just in case we have to look after the grandkids in case the parents get sick,” Siva said.
“We are a family of 25 and all have our separate homes and are staying apart for the next weeks. My mother-in-law is in a nursing home and we won’t be visiting for a while just to be safe. We aren’t afraid of this. We can do it.”
Fergus Maxwell, shopping at the No Frills at High Park Ave. and Annette St., says he will have to cut into his entertainment budget to fill up his cupboards.
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“It’s hard on the budget … I want to think this is the height of it because I get nervous when there is a run on commodities,” Maxwell said in the cashier’s line up.
Toilet paper manufacturers have said there is no shortage in the product, but deliveries haven’t been able to keep up with the recent spike in purchases.
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